Lip moving mechanisms in a doll



July 20, 1965 J. WElH ETAL 3,195,269

LIP MOVING MECHANISMS IN A DOLL Filed Oct. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS JUL I08 WEI/1" KENNETH 4/11/0319) July 20, 1965 J. WEIH ETAL 3,195,269

LIP MOVING MECHANISMS IN A DOLL Filed Oct. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JUL/U5 WE/H Kf/V/VETH LIA/D514) BY Mvv 0 TTORA/EYJ United States Patent 3,195,269 LIP MOVING MECHANISMS IN A DGLL Julius Weill, Ozone Park, Queens, and Kenneth W. Lindsay, Great Neck, Long Island, N.Y., assiguors to ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, NX.

Filed Oct. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 318,995 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-135) The present invention relates generally to an animated doll, and in particular to a mouth-animating mechanism for a doll.

Numerous mechanisms have been suggested to impart movements simulating talking or singing to the mouth of a doll. Such mechanisms usually take the form of an actuating arrangement extending into the body of the doll and operable to displace the jaw of the doll and the lower lip relative to the remainder of the dolls head such that the doll will appear to be talking. The movable jaw may either be in the form of a separate jaw insert, or an integral and flexible portion of the dolls head, such mouth-animating mechanisms are relatively complicated in construction, difiicult to install into the conventional doll and often interfere with the normal functioning of the doll, and in particular, the ability to rotate the dolls head relative to the body.

Broadly, it; is an object of the present invention to provide an improved doll incorporating a mouth-animating mechanism which obviates one or more of the aforesaid difiiculties. Specifically, it is within the contempla tion of the present invention to provide a mouth-animating mechanism for a doll which is comparatively simple in construction, relatively easy to install, and in no Wise interferes with the ability to rotate the dolls head and body relative to each other.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects and features of the present invention, there is provided a doll which includes a hollow doll body having a neck terminating at one end in an annular neck flange having a neck opening and a head journalled on the neck for rotation thereon and including flexible upper and lower mouth walls defining a mouth cavity terminating in a normally open mouth. A mouth-animating mechanism is operatively connected to the mouth Walls and is operable from the doll body to impart animating motions to the mouth to simulate talking. The mouthanimating mechanism includes a swivel member adapted to be suspended within the neck, a body-mounted supporting member disposed within the body and bearing against the underside of the neck flange and engaging the swivel member and a head-mounted supporting member disposed within the head and bearing against the upper side of the neck flange and engaging the swivel member. The head-mounted supporting member includes a stationary jaw member which engages one of the mouth walls. A movable jaw member is movably mounted on the head-mounted supporting member and engagesthe other of the mouth walls. Provision is made for urging the movable jaw member into engagement with the other mouth wall, usually in the form of a spring. Actuating means including a movable actuating member are disposed within the doll body and operatively connected to the movable jaw member for moving the latter towards the stationary jaw member in response to movement of the actuating member relative to the bodymounted supporting member to impart animating motion to the dolls mouth.

In accordance with further aspects of the invention, the animating motions may be imparted to the dolls mouth by the application of one of the limbs of the doll rela- *tive.to the doll body, or by the provision of a motor, which may be powered, as by turning a key, for bringing .about the desired mouth animation.

Patented July 20, 1965 ice The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description and several presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing a doll including a hollow doll body and head incorporating a mouth-animating mechanism embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, with parts in section, on an enlarged scale, showing the mouth-animating mechanism per so, with the dotted line showing illustrating the position of the actuating member and the movable jaw member in a limit position corresponding to the dolls mouth being closed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mouth-animating mechanism, with the elements received within the dolls head rotated relative to the elements received within the doll body for the purpose of clarity in illustration;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the mouth-animating mechanisms, shown on a reduced scale and with parts broken away;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a doll embodying a further mouth-animating mechanism in accordance with the present invention, the doll body being sectioned and the doll limbs being shown in a normal full line position wherein the dolls mouth is open and in an operated dot-dash position wherein the dolls mouth has been closed; and,

FIG. 6 is an elevational view, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing a still further embodiment of a mouth-animating mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 inclusive, there is shown a doll, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which includes a hollow doll body 12 and a hollow doll head 14. As is generally understood, the doll body 12 may be fabricated of any appropriate yieldable plastic by generally conventional techniques including rotational casting, blow molding, and injection molding, with provision for the mounting thereon of arms and legs which may be movable relative to the doll body, as shown for example in FIG. 5. The doll body 12 includes a front wall 16 having a stomach portion 16a contoured to simulate the desired anatomical representation and a back wall it; likewise appropriately contoured. Further, the doll body includes an upwardly projecting neck 20 which is hollow and communicates with the hollow interior of the doll body and terminates at its upper end in an annular neck flange 22 which bounds a neck opening 24.

The head 14, which is preferably fabricated of a yieldable plastic which is rotationally molded, includes a head opening 26 which communicates with the hollow interior of the head 14 and is bounded by an inwardly directed annular bearing 28 which is dimensioned to fit over the neck flange 22 upon radial compressionthereof and is journaled on the neck 22 to mount the head 14 for rotation relative to the body 12. At its front side, the dolls head is provided with the usual facial representations including a mouth cavity 39 which terminates in a mouth opening 32. The mouth cavity 30 is bounded by flexible upper and lower mouth walls 34, 36, while the open mouth 32 is bounded by an upper lip 38 and a lower lip 44). Due to the flexibility of the upper and lower mouth walls 34, 36 and the contiguous portions of the dolls head including the lower lip 40 and the chin 42, it will be appreciated that it is possible to animate the dolls mouth to simulate talking by displacing the lower mouth wall 36 towards and away from the upper mouth wall 34, which motion will create the desired affect.

.simnlate talking.

amaaee in accordance with the present invention, a mouthanimating mechanism, generally designated by the reference numeral 44, is operatively connected to the mouth walls 34, 36 and is operable from the doll body 12 to impart animating motions to the mouth of the doll to The mouth-animating mechanism 44 includes a swivel member 36 which is adapted to be suspended within the neck opening 24 and includes an intermediate cylindrical swivel body 46:: and terminal flanges 46b, 46c which are formed by outwardly turning the. opposite ends of the swivel member 46. The mouth-animating mechanism 4-4 further includes a body-mounted supporting member 48 which includes an elongated mounting section 45a which is secured, as by rivet St), to the rear or backwall 18 of the doll body 12 and a lower swivel. section 481; which extends substantially at right angles to the mounting section 43a and is formed with a transverse bend 48c intermediate the ends thereof. The lower swivel section 431) surrounds and is loosely journaled on the cylindrical body 46a of the swivel member 56 and is sandwiched between the underside of the annular neck flange 22 and the terminal flange 460 which serves as a lower step.

A head-mounted supporting member 52 is disposed within the head 14 and includes a mounting section 52:: and an upper swivel section 5212 extending substantially at right angles thereto. The upper swivel section 52b surrounds and is loosely journaled on the swivel body 46a and is sandwiched between the upper side of the neck flange 22 and the terminal flange 46!) serving as an upper stop. The mounting section 52a includes a right angle extension 52c upon whichis mounted a stationary jaw member 54, the details of which are best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The stationary jaw member 54 includes a jaw body 54a and lateral extensions 54b, 540 which extend within the dolls head 14 intermediate the nose and upper lip 33. The extensions 54b, 540 are curved and of a length to extend into the cheek regions of the dolls head 14.

A movable jaw member 56 is movably mounted on the head-mountedsupporting member 52 and engages the lower mouth wall 36 for moving the latter against the reaction force developed by the upper mouth wall 34 which is maintained substantially stationary by the jaw member 54. The'movable jaw member 56 includes an elongated mounting section 56a which is formed intermediate its ends with a pivot section 55b formed by havin g opposed notches in the opposite sides of the mounting section 56a. seating notch 52d (see FIG. 4) which is cut into the jaw supporting section 52a of the head-mounted supporting member 52 which thereby defines a fulcrumlon the mounting section 52a. The seating notch 52d is at the lower end of an enlarged cutout 52c formed in the mounting section 52a which facilitates the initial assembly of the lower or movable jaw member 56 onto the headmounted supporting member 52. This assembly is achieved by initially inserting the mounting section 56a through the enlarged cutout 52e and then lowering the pivot section 56b into the seating notch 52d. The movable or lower jaw member 56 further includes a mouthengaging section 56 which extends at right angles to the mounting section 56a and engages the lower mouth wall 36 contiguous to the junction of this wall with the lower lip 49, as seen best in FIG. 1.

Provision is made for urging the movable jaw member 56 into engagement with the lower mouth wall 36 and for returning the mechanism to the normal or open mouth position. In this illustrative embodiment this is achieved by a coil spring 58 which has one end hooked through an appropriate aperture provided. on the stationary jaw member 54- and has the other end hooked through. anappropriate cutout formed at the rearward end of the mounting section 56a of the movable or lower jaw 56.

The pivot section 56b is cradled within a Disposed within the doll body 12 and extending along the inner side thereof contiguous to the front wall 16 is an actuating mechanism which includes a movable actuating member tit having. a main section 6% and a mounting section 6%. The mounting section 6% terminates at its free end in a pair or" side by side fingers 66c which are received within a cutout formed in the mounting section 4341 of the body-mounted supporting member 48 such that the actuating member 60 may be pivoted toward and away from the mounting section 48a. As seen in FIGS. '1 and 2, the actuating member 6% is movable from the full line position illustrated in these figures to the broken line position illustrated in FIG. 2; and such movement brings about animation of the dolls mouth by moving the jaw member 56, as will now be described. In'this illustrative embodiment, the actuating member s0 includes a pressure plate 62 which is disposed behind the stomach portion 16a of the front wall 16 of the doll body 12 and is carried by the lower endof the actuating member 60. The actuating member 60 is operatively connected to the lower jaw member 56 by a connecting spring 64 which is strong as compared to the biasing spring 53 and is relatively inelastic. The connecting spring 64, as seen best in PEG. 2, extends through the suspended swivel member 46 and has its lower end pivotally connected to the mounting section 6%!) of the actuating member 69 by a cotter pin 66 or the like and has its upper end pivotally connected to the mounting section 52b of the movable jaw member by a book 68. The actual assembly of the mouth actuating mechanism 44- into the doll body 12 .and head 14 may be readily achieved by working through the head opening 26 and the neck opening 24, it-being appreciated that access to the interior of the body 12 may be had through the arm and leg openings for subsequent manipulative operations including the attachment of the body-mounted supporting member 48 to the doll body 12 by the rivet St). The loose swivelling of the body-mounted supporting member 48 and the head-mounted supporting member 52 on the swivel member 48 and the subsequent assembly thereof with the neck flange 22 sandwiched therebetween facilitates the accommodation of the mouth-animating mechanism 44 to'the doll 1t) and affords a latitude in the tolerances as may be required during normal manufacturing procedures. a a

In actual use, the child, upon depressing the stomach portion 16a of the doll body 12 by squeezing the doll, will bring about a pivotal movement of the actuating member db from the full line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dot-dash line position which in turn exerts a downwardly directed pull via the connecting spring 64 on the rearward end of the mounting section 56a of the movable I or lower jaw member 56. The mounting section 56a,

which in effect is a double-arm lever, brings about a movement of the movable or lower jaw member 56 into the dot-dash postion shown in FIG. 2 whichcauses a corresponding displacement of the lower mouth wall 36 and the jaw .2 to'close themouth opening 32 and simulate the action of talking. Upon release of the squeezing pressure, the spring 58 will return the movable or lower jaw member se to the full line position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; and upon the application of repeated pressures,

the doll will appear to talk continuously.

When the child desires to rotatethe head 14 relative to the body 12, this rotation may be achieved without any interference from the mouth-animating mechanisms. When such rotation occurs, it will be appreciated that all of the components. of the mouth-animating mechanism 44 located within the head will turn about the swivel member 46, with the connecting spring 64 turning on its own axis and swiveling relative to thebody-mounted supporting member 48 and the actuating member 69.

Referring now to FIG. *5 there is showna further embodimentof the present invention .which is particularly adapted .to bring about the mouth-animating motions in response to displacement of one or both of the arms of the doll towards each other in a motion simulating that of the 'doll hugging or squeezing the child.

In this illustrative embodiment, the same reference numerals have been applied as were used in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 since the doll is constructed in the same manner and the mouth-actuating mechanisms 44 are identical, except for the deletion of the pressure plate 62. In lieu of the pressure plate, there is provided in accordance'with this illustrative embodiment, arms 19a,,19b which are journalled within appropriate sockets formed at the opposite sides of the doll body 12 and are interconnected by a cord 70 which overlies and bears against the actuating member 60 and is connected to the arms 19a, 19b by respective hooks 72, 74. In response to movement of the arms 1%, 19b from the full .pivotal movement of the actuating member 60 which in turn actuates the mouth-animating mechanisms 44.

A still further illustrative embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, where as before the doll 10 and the mouthanimating mechanism 44 are of identical construction and are identified by these same reference numerals. It should be noted that the actuating member which is pivoted in the doll body is of somewhat different configuration and therefore is designated by the reference numeral 60. In this illustrative embodiment, a conventional spring motor 80 is mounted within the doll body 12 on the body-mounted supporting member 48 and is provided with a winding shaft 82 which projects through the rear wall 18 of the doll body and carries a winding key 84. The spring motor 80 includes a motor shaft 86 which projects upwardly within the doll body and carries an actuating cam 88 which bears against the actuating member 60' serving as a cam follower such that in response to winding of the spring motor 80 and rotation of the drive shaft 86, the actuating member 60' will be successively swung between the full and dotted line showings to bring about a corresponding animation of the mouth 32 of the doll 10 such that the doll will appear to be talking continuously.

From the foregoing description of the several illustrative embodiments according to the present invention, it will be appreciated that there has been provided a relatively simple mouth-animating mechanism for a doll which is easily fabricated, relatively rugged in construction and comparatively cheap to produce, and which when installed within a doll, will impart the desired animated motions to the mouth thereof without interfering with the several other functions which the doll normally would perform, including relative rotation between the doll head and the doll body.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What we claim is:

1. In a doll, a hollow doll body including a neck terminating at one end in an annular neck flange bounding a neck opening and a head journaled on said neck for rotation thereon and including flexible upper and lower mouth walls defining a mouth cavity terminating in a normally open mouth, the improvement comprising a mouth-animating mechanism operatively connected to said mouth walls and operable from said doll body to impart animating motions to said mouth to simulate talking, said mouthanimating mechanism including a swivel member adapted to be suspended within said neck, a body-mounted sup porting member disposed within said body and operatively connected thereto and including a lower swivel section bearing against the under side of said neck flange .and engaging said swivel member, a head-mounted sup- ,porting member disposed within said head and including an upper swivel section bearing against the upper side of said neck flange and engaging said swivel member, said head-mounted supporting member including a stationary jaw member engaging one of said mouth walls, a movable jaw member pivoted on said head-mounted supporting member and engaging the other of said mouth walls,

actuating means including a movable actuating member disposed within said doll body and movably mounted on said body-mounted supporting member, and means extending through said swivel member and connecting said movable jaw member to said actuating member for pivoting said movable jaw member toward said stationary jaw member to impart animating-motions to said mouth in response to movement of said actuating member relative to said body-mounted supporting member.

2. In a doll, a hollow doll body including a neckter- ,minating at one end in an annular neck flange bounding normally open mouth, the improvement comprising a mouth-animating mechanism operatively connected to said mouth walls and operable from said doll body to impart animating motions to said mouth to simulate talking, said mouth-animating mechanism including a swivel member adapted to be suspended within said neck, a bodymounted supporting member disposed within said body and operatively connected thereto and including a lower swivel section bearing against the under side of said neck flange and engaging said swivel member, a head-mounted supporting member disposed within said head and including an upper swivel section bearing against the upper side of said neck flange and engaging said swivel member, a stationary jaw member mounted on said headmounted supporting member and engaging one of said mouth walls, a movable jaw member pivoted on said head-mounted supporting member and engaging the other of said mouth walls, spring means operatively connected between said head-mounted supporting member and said movable jaw member for urging the latter into engagement with said other mouth wall, actuating means including a movable actuating member disposed within said doll body and pivoted on said body-mounted supporting member for movement relative thereto, and connecting means extending through said swivel member and swivelled on said movable jaw member and on said actuating member for pivoting said movable jaw member toward said stationary jaw member to impart animating motions to said mouth in response to movement of said actuating member relative to said body-mounted supporting member, said members and means being constructed and arranged relative to each other to enable both animation of said mouth and relative rotation between said doll body and said doll head.

3. In a doll according to claim 2, said doll body including a stomach portion and a pressure plate within said doll body and confronting said stomach portion, said pressure plate being operatively connected to said actuating member and being movable in response to the application of a squeezing pressure to said doll body to eifect movement of said actuating member relative to said body-mounted supporting member.

4. In a doll according to claim 2, said doll body including at least one limb movably mounted on said doll body and motion-imparting means operatively connected to said limb and to said actuating member to effect movement of the latter relative to said body-mounted supporting member in response to movement of said limb 'relative to said doll body.

5. In a doll according to claim 2, said actuating means including a spring motor mounted within said .doll body and having a drive shaft, and means on said drive shaft operatively connected to said actuating member for affecting movement of the latter relative to said bodymounted supporting member in response to drive from said spring motor.

6. Ina doll, a hollow doll body including a neck terminating at one end in an annular neck flange bounding a neck opening and a head journaled on said neck for rotation thereon and including flexible upper and lower mouth walls defining a mouth cavity terminating in. a normally open mouth, the improvement comprising a mouth-animating mechanism operatively connected to said mouth walls and operable from said doll body to impart animating motions to said mouth to simulate talking, said mouth-animating mechanism including a cylindrical swivel member adapted to be suspended within said neck and including terminal flanges at its opposite ends, a bodymounted supporting member disposed within 'said body and operatively connected thereto and including a lower swivel section bearing against the under side. of said neck flange and engaged about said swivel member intermediate said terminal fianges, a stationary jaw member mounted on said head-mounted supporting member and engaging said upper mouth wall, amovable jaw member pivoted on said head-mounted supporting member and engaging said lower mouth wall, spring means operatively connected between said head-mounted supporting member and said movable jaw member for urging the latter into engagement with said lower mouth wall, actuating means including a movable actuating member disposed within said doll body and pivoted on said body-mounted supporting member for movement relative thereto, and connecting means extending through said swivel member and swivelled on said movable jaw member and on said actuating member for pivoting said movable jaw member toward said stationary jaw member to impart animating motions to said mouth in response to movement of said actuating member relative tousaid body-mounted supporting member, said members and means being constructed and arranged relative to each other to enable both animation of said mouth and relative rotation between said doll .bodyand said doll head.

References Eited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,069 3/43 Henkelmann 46-418 2,700,846 2/55 Coe 46-120 3,005,283 10/61 Cohn 46-'-171 X FOREIGN PATENTS 513,907 11/20 France.

701,036 12/53 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DOLL, A HOLLOW DOLL BODY INCLUDING A NECK TERMINATING AT ONE END IN AN ANNULAR NECK FLANGE BOUNDING A NECK OPENING AND A HEAD JOURNALED ON SAID NECK FOR ROTATION THEREON AND INCLUDING FLEXIBLE UPPER AND LOWER MOUTH WALLS DEFINING A MOUTH CAVITY TERMINATING IN A NORMALLY OPEN MOUTH, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A MOUTH-ANTIMATING MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOUTH WALLS AND OPERABLE FROM SAID DOLL BODY TO IMPART ANIMATING MOTIONS TO SAID MOUTH TO SIMULATE TALKING, SAID MOUTHANIMATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A SWIVEL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SUSPENDED WITHIN SAID NECK, A BODY-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED THERETO AND INCLUDING A LOWER SWIVEL SECTION BEARING AGAINST THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID NECK FLANGE AND ENGAGING SAID SWIVEL MEMBER, A HEAD-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HEAD AND INCLUDING AN UPPER SWIVEL SECTION BEARING AGAINST THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID NECK FLANGE AND ENGAGING SAID SWIVEL MEMBER, SAID HEAD-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER INCLUDING A STATIONARY JAW MEMBER ENGAGING ONE OF SAID MOUTH WALLS, A MOVABLE JAW MEMBER PIVOTED ON SAID HEAD-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER AND ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID MOUTH WALLS, ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A MOVABLE ACTUATING MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID DOLL BODY AND MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SWIVEL MEMBER AND CONNECTING SAID MOVABLE JAW MEMBER TO SAID ACTUATING MEMBER FOR PIVOTING SAID MOVABLE JAW MEMBER TOWARD SAID STATIONARY JAW MEMBER TO IMPART ANIMATING MOTIONS TO SAID MOUTH IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID BODY-MOUNTED SUPPORTING MEMBER. 